


The Dangers of Aris Beach

by Its_a_secre1094



Category: The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, I guess I’m evil, Injury, Lurelin village, Sad, Tears, cant even, like idk why i had to write this, lizalfos mothafuckas, poor KIANA my god, poor Link
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-18 14:56:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16997148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Its_a_secre1094/pseuds/Its_a_secre1094
Summary: Link sat still on the shoreline, the heels of his boots digging into the sands of Clarnet Coast. His gaze was fixed on the foam capped waves, silent tears stinging his eyes. Trembling hands were coated with dried blood. The Master Sword lay half buried in the sand beside him, its sacred blade streaked with crimson as well. A breeze swept over his skin and ruffled through his disheveled bangs. With that breeze, chills ran up his spine and he shuddered, flashing back to several hours prior.





	The Dangers of Aris Beach

Link sat still on the shoreline, the heels of his boots digging into the sands of Clarnet Coast. His gaze was fixed on the foam capped waves, silent tears stinging his eyes. Trembling hands were coated with dried blood. The Master Sword lay half buried in the sand beside him, its sacred blade streaked with crimson as well. A breeze swept over his skin and ruffled through his disheveled bangs. With that breeze, chills ran up his spine and he shuddered, flashing back to several hours prior.  
————  
_“They’re down at Aris beach.” Sebasto told him. Sebasto was the father of a charming family that resided in Lurelin Village. He and his wife, Kiana, had taken him into their home in the midst of a terrible storm, offering him shelter and food. Link knew he needed to repay the kindness of these strangers, so when Sebasto had told him of a monster camp that had been terrorizing the village and preventing them from fishing, he volunteered to clear the camp without a second thought. “Thanks...”_

_“Link.”_

_“Ah, well thank you, Link. You’ll be saving the village in more ways than one. We appreciate your help.” Link gave the man a curt nod before whistling for his white stallion. Within mere moments, the neigh of his beloved horse could be heard and soon followed by hooves pushing through the sand. As Link mounted his horse and made to take off, a youngling tugged on the leg of his trousers. He had come to learn that the boy’s name was Kinov._

_“Hey, mister, can I come with you?” Link frowned and opened his mouth to refuse, but Kinov’s mother immediately intervened, assuring the boy that the danger was too high and she needed his help at home to prepare their dinner. “Well...are you at least going to be home in time for supper? We’re having seafood paella!” His big brown eyes twinkled in the sunlight as he spoke. Link couldn’t help but smile and he gave another nod, reaching down to pat the young boy on his head before trotting off towards Aris beach._

_————_

_Sweat dripped down Link’s forehead as he notched another arrow and began a very careful aim. He was halfway through dispensing the camp of creatures at Aris Beach, picking off as many as he could from a hiding spot with arrows before he began his attack with his trusted sword. With a steady exhale, his fingers released and the arrow soared through the air. It hit its mark dead on, burying itself into the neck of a bokoblin. The monster squealed as it stumbled back and forth, eventually falling off its perch to its demise in the waters below. With a roll of his shoulders and a crack of his neck, Link withdrew his bow and readied himself to take on the creatures one on one. He reached over his shoulder, drew the Master Sword and his knight’s shield and exited his hiding place. As he revealed himself and made his way down the shoreline, each remaining monster popped up, alerted to his presence. His plan was to call upon Revali’s Gale and soar over to the top of the platform, eliminating beast after beast as he scaled down. However, as he crouched down and began to summon the updraft, a small voice called out to him from afar._

_“Hey, mister, wait for me!” Link’s focus darted to the side and found Kinov running towards him, a soup ladle and a pot lid in his hands. “I can help!”_

_Link’s eyes widened as he stood, turning around to face the young boy. Had it not been so dangerous, he wouldn’t have found the sight charming. Slightly panicked, he stepped forward to shoo the boy back to his village. It wasn’t safe for anyone out here, let alone such a young boy with mer_  
_ely a pot lid and spoon. He appreciated his desire to stand by him and fight, but he was too young. Link needed to get him back to safety — and quickly. Kinov stared at him with the fiercest stare that he could muster and mimicked the fighting stance he had seen Link in prior. Just as Link had taken another step forward to send the boy home, he heard the thwip of an arrow, then felt a searing heat as it pierced into the back of his shoulder. He lurched forward with a gasp, hissing as he mumbled a swear under his breath. He steadied his stance just as another arrow sank into the sand next to his feet, this one having been a fire arrow. The flames licked against his boot, taunting him with more pain and heat._

_“RUN!!” He screamed at the child. Kinov’s fierce stare dissolved into terror as he stared at the arrow sticking out of Link’s back. Blood was beginning to soak the fabric of his Hylian tunic and he could feel it trickling down his back. “GO!”_

_Without another second wasted, the boy dropped his weapons and began to run back toward his home. He didn’t get very far before he stumbled over his own feet and fell into the sands. Link began to rush after him, but he felt time slow down as he watched the scene unfold. A cleverly camouflaged Lizalfos sprung out of its hiding place, alerted by the boy’s startled cry. It hurdled through the air towards the child in slow motion, rearing its arm back as it fell forward._

_As if he had performed a perfect dodge, Link rushed forward towards the lizard monster, but it was too late. It had landed, the edge of its Lizal boomerang embedded in the small boy’s abdomen. Link couldn’t breathe as he watched the Lizalfos growl at the boy, sliding his blade free and readying for another swing._

_A deafening, primal scream from Hyrule’s hero distracted the monster, leaving him the perfect opportunity to bury that sacred sword deep into its chest. Anger boiled over and blinded him, his rage and his pain fueling his assault. He withdrew the blade, just to bury it once again. Repeated stabs and slices split the Lizalfos into pieces, yet Link couldn’t stop. He roared with almost every swing, hot tears streaming from his hardened gaze. When nearly nothing remained of the monster, Link finally slowed his onslaught. His chest heaved, heavy gasps mixed with groans. His shoulder burned and now that he stood still he could feel damage his attack had caused. He swayed with the wind, the remaining adrenaline dissipating from his system and leaving him feeling almost inebriated._

_Small whimpers brought him out of his stupor and he turned, rushing towards Kinov, who laid still in the sands. The boy’s blood had pooled, soaking into the sands around his sides. A large gash sat in the center of his abdomen and he could see that it had gone clear through. Link had to choke back the urge to vomit and instead whistled for his horse. He carefully lifted the boy from the sands and grimaced, feeling the flesh in his shoulder tear around the arrowhead. Within simple seconds, the stallion rode up beside them and Link swiftly mounted, holding the youngling close to his chest as the horse charged back in the direction of the village._

_———_

_He’d never forget the look on Kiana’s face as his steed slid to a halt in front of their home. The back of his tunic was completely soaked with his blood now, the feathered edge of the arrow protruding from his shoulder. He had wrapped the boy in his Hylian hood, trying to hold pressure against his abdomen as best he could with the fabric. Kinov’s rich, dark skin had lightened to a sickening pale tone and he hadn’t moved, save for trembling. It had taken a second before Kiana understood what lay inside the bundle in Link’s arms. Her eyes widened and the color drained from her face as she screamed for her husband. Sebasto appeared instantly, frightened eyes alert and ready. They locked on the wounded pair. Link could see the terror in his eyes, yet he rushed forward to help the knight dismount and ushered them inside._

_“What...what happened?” He spoke quietly as Link released the young child into his bedroll. Kiana had followed them inside and as soon as Kinov was laid down, she unwrapped the soiled hood and cape. A strangled cry escaped her as she saw the damage to her son’s body. He had lost consciousness on the ride back to the village and Link could only hope, at the very least, that the boy felt no pain._

_“Lizalfos.” Link gritted through his teeth, collapsing against the center support of the house. Sebasto had seen the weapon protruding out of Link’s back and with a gentle hand on the shoulder, started to work on freeing the arrow from his flesh. Link groaned, wrapping his good arm against the support to balance himself. He pressed his sweat slicked forehead into the wood as the older man began to slide the arrowhead free. The pain in Link’s shoulder, mixed with the sight before him, was nauseating and he could hardly see straight. “I tried to send him home. I tried...” He swallowed hard as Sebasto finally freed the last of the metal from his back. His gaze filled with unbearable guilt as it trailed between the boy and his father. “I tried to save him.”_

_“Come on, sweet boy...” Kiana whispered as she hovered over her son. She had applied a fresh set of clean cloths to his abdomen and was pressing tightly against it, but there was no way for them to repair the damage that had been done. Link felt his throat tighten and his stomach flip at the thought. He immediately retreated outside, barely making it before the contents of his stomach spilled out onto the grass. The thought that such a young, innocent life was hanging on by a thread because he had gotten distracted was sickening. He didn’t think about the archers behind him, he didn’t look for the camouflaged Lizalfos, he didn’t think to run to him immediately. He couldn’t save him. He had failed him._

_A low sob broke through the thick air inside the house. Link turned around and nearly got sick again at what he saw. Kiana sat on the floor, her son curled into her arms. Sebasto knelt next to her, a hand gripping her shoulder with such intensity that his knuckles turned white._

_“Papa...?” Zuta’s quiet voice cut through his mother’s cries as he came up the road from the beach. He was carrying three small crabs in his arms, crabs that Link assumed were supposed to be for their supper that evening. Link shook visibly where he stood, arm braced against the side of the house. He could do nothing but watch as Kinov’s younger brother padded up the stairs to their home, confusion etched in his young features. As he came to the doorway, he gasped. Kinov’s pale, lifeless hand had fallen out from under his covering, shaking slightly with his mother’s sobs. The three crabs made a crunching noise as they fell to the floor._

_Link couldn’t take it. The agony from this innocent family hurt worse than the wound he had received. It cut deeper, overwhelming him. The last thing he saw as he turned to run was Zuta’s questioning, tear filled eyes boring into his own._

_—————_

As the memories flooded Link’s being, he nearly fell sick again. How could he have let that happen? That boy lost his life because of his inability to retain his focus. He took a quick glance at the Master Sword, half covered in Lizalfos blood and sand, then looked down to his hands. They still shook with anxiety and no matter how hard he held them, they would not still. He so badly wished that he could take the place of Kinov. What good is being the Hero of Hyrule if you cannot protect its people?

The sound of gentle footsteps pushing through sand brought Link out of his thoughts. It was Sebasto. He didn’t speak, he merely sat down next to Link and let his eyes trail out to the ocean. They sat in silence for several long moments before he whispered,

“My boy is gone.”

Link’s eyes immediately clamped shut as he willed himself not to just break down and weep. His shoulders shook with the silent sobs he was so desperately trying to control. His fingers grabbed fistfuls of his sandy blonde hair, squeezing and tugging until he thought he might pull his hair out of his head.

“I...” He choked out, though it sounded more like a sob. “I’m so sorry.” He felt more nauseated and hot by the second, Sebasto’s shockingly calm demeanor piercing right to his core. “I tried to save him, I tried...”

“Son.” Sebasto finally looked over at him, his eyes overwhelmed with despair, but also understanding. He placed a firm hand on Link’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Link looked down at his hand, his bloodshot and swollen eyes wide with disbelief. “The fault is not yours. Please do not blame yourself or argue the fact. It was out of your hands. However, I trust that the beast who did this to my boy is now dead?” Sebasto’s eyes went sharp with a vengeance Link never suspected he had in him. All he could do was sniffle and give a single nod. Sebasto nodded as well, removing his hand from Link’s shoulder. He instead stood and extended it towards Link. “Thank you for bringing him home.”

They both stood and Sebasto offered the chance to clean Link up and attend to the hole in his shoulder. Link reluctantly accepted, but felt that he was now forever in debt to this family and would do whatever they wished of him.

As Link picked up the Master Sword and cleaned his face with his sleeve, a strong breeze whipped around the two of them. It circled them for a few moments and then pulled out to the ocean, taking his breath with it. The deep hues of the watercolor like sunset were reflecting against the gentle waters in the ocean. At the vey top of the horizon, a slight twinkling caught his eye. A new star, small and young. At least he was at peace. Fresh tears pricked his eyes at the thought, but he looked away and followed Sebasto back towards the village.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry the ending is so terrible, i just couldn’t do it. I’m also totally aware that I’m a terrible person for envisioning this, but it is what it is. I gravitate to tragedy, oh well.
> 
> Let me know what you think anyway


End file.
